Men’s basketball preview: Rice at UTEP

 Rice update: The Owls are coming off an 81-78 overtime loss to Southern Miss. … Rice has dropped six games this season by four points or less, including two in C-USA play. … G Connor Frizzelle had a season-high 21 vs. Southern Miss. … The Owls are 0-4 in true road games this season and 1-6 overall from Tudor Fieldhouse. … Rice shot a season-best 50 percent (10-of-20) from 3-point range against Southern Miss. … F Arsalan Kazemi picked up two early fouls and was held to a season low-tying 10 points against Southern Miss. Kazemi remains the only C-USA player averaging a double-double with 17.5 points and 11.2 rebounds. He has 11 double-doubles this season, tied for third nationally. … The Owls have not won in El Paso since the 2002-03 season. … After today, the Owls do not return to action again until Jan. 22 at UCF.

 UTEP update: The defending C-USA champion Miners are coming off an 69-58 win at Tulane. … Since a 66-61 loss to Pacific in the season opener, UTEP has won 11 straight home games. … G Randy Culpepper, the reigning C-USA player of the year, is averaging 20.2 points per game. … G Julyan Stone leads the team in the rebounding (6.8) and and assists (5.4), the latter currently No. 2 in the conference. … UTEP has won three straight in the series. … The Miners are 33-7 in C-USA home games since joining the league in 2005-06. They have won 14 of the last 15 games at Don Haskins Center.